Ankit Parekh
Infrastructure & Security Leader • Harrow, London, UK • a***********@gmail.com • +44*******166 • linkedin.com/••••• • drivetube.ai/•••••
Professional Summary
Infrastructure & Security Leader with 25+ years of experience building and securing global cloud and on-premise platforms. Deep hands-on expertise in Azure, AWS, Microsoft 365, Zero Trust and compliance (ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS). Proven track record of reducing cloud spend, hardening security posture, automating operations and delivering high-availability platforms while reporting to C-suite and owning budgets.
Technical Skills
Programming Languages: PowerShell
Cloud and DevOps: AWS,Microsoft Azure,Hybrid Cloud Architecture,VMware vSphere
Tools and Methodologies: SIEM tooling,Monitoring & Alerting,Asset Management
Identity & Access: Active Directory,Azure AD,Single Sign-On,IAM,MFA
Security & Compliance: Zero Trust Architecture,SIEM,Endpoint Security,Network Segmentation,Threat Detection and Response,ISO 27001,GDPR,PCI DSS
Automation & Endpoint Management: Microsoft Intune,SCCM,Action1,Automox
Collaboration & Productivity: Microsoft 365,Exchange Online,Microsoft Teams
Operating Systems & Directory Services: Windows Server,Windows Desktop,Active Directory Federation Services
Operations & Resilience: Disaster Recovery & Business Continuity,ITIL v3,Service Desk Management,Audit Readiness
Vendor & Financial: Vendor Management,Contract Negotiation,Budget Ownership
Work Experience
Direct Ferries Ltd
London, UK
Infrastructure Engineer
December 2018 – Present
Direct Ferries is a global ferry booking and travel platform operating across 40+ countries; I led cloud, infrastructure reliability and security work supporting high-availability customer-facing services.
Tech Stack: AWS, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365, Azure AD, PowerShell, Microsoft Intune, SCCM, SIEM, VMware, Active Directory, Disaster Recovery
- Architected and delivered a hybrid AWS infrastructure to scale the booking platform across 40+ markets, reducing infrastructure costs by 20% while maintaining high availability.
- Led a Zero Trust transformation across IAM, MFA and network segmentation, closing critical threat vectors and materially reducing organisational security risk.
- Designed and implemented automation pipelines using PowerShell, Microsoft Intune and SCCM, cutting manual operational workload by 40% and accelerating user/device provisioning.
- Deployed and tuned a SIEM solution and complemented tooling for advanced detection, improving threat detection rates by 35% with zero critical breaches during tenure.
- Planned and executed an organisation-wide Microsoft 365 migration with zero downtime, increasing collaboration efficiency by ~30% through Teams and Exchange Online adoption.
- Designed, stress-tested and maintained a disaster recovery framework that met RTO/RPO targets and reduced downtime risk by 50%; maintained GDPR and PCI DSS compliance across audits.
Achilles Information Ltd
London, UK
- Global IT Operations
May 2012 – December 2018
Achilles is a global supplier risk and performance management company; I led a distributed global IT support team and modernised core infrastructure and service delivery.
Tech Stack: Active Directory, Windows Server, VMware, SCCM, ITIL, Monitoring Tools
- Managed global IT operations and led a distributed 16-person support team to consistently meet SLAs across multiple international regions.
- Delivered a 25% system performance improvement by redesigning Active Directory and modernising Windows Server infrastructure to improve authentication and resource access.
- Re-engineered service delivery using ITIL-aligned processes, reducing ticket backlog by 40% and average resolution time by 50%.
- Sustained ISO 27001 certification for six consecutive years through audit readiness, policy governance and staff security training programs.
- Modernised the VMware virtualisation estate and delivered phased cloud integration, reducing hardware dependency by 30% and improving provisioning speed.
- Owned vendor relationships and budget planning, negotiating contracts and introducing monitoring to reduce incident detection and resolution times.
Civil Aviation Authority
Gatwick Airport, UK
IT Service Desk Analyst
August 2008 – February 2012
Civil Aviation Authority is the UK's aviation regulator; I supported 1,500+ users across safety-critical aviation systems requiring strict SLA adherence and regulatory compliance.
Tech Stack: Active Directory, Windows Server, Asset Management, Endpoint Management, Ticketing Systems
- Provided end-user support for 1,500+ users across safety-critical aviation systems, consistently meeting stringent SLAs and uptime requirements.
- Implemented asset tracking and IT lifecycle management, cutting operational costs by 35% and improving procurement visibility and control.
- Managed Windows Server and Active Directory tasks, ensuring secure authentication and role-based access in a regulated environment.
- Coordinated incident response and change-control processes aligned with aviation safety and compliance protocols to minimize service impact.
- Delivered user training and documentation to improve first-contact resolution and reduce recurring support requests.
- Supported internal and external audits for regulated systems, maintaining strict security and availability controls for aviation operations.
Xara Corporation Ltd
IT Helpdesk Engineer
2007 – 2008
Xara Corporation is a software company; I provided helpdesk and desktop support services to internal users and development staff.
Tech Stack: Active Directory, Windows Desktop, Imaging Tools, Ticketing Systems, Asset Management
- Delivered day-to-day first- and second-line user support across Windows desktops and applications, triaging issues and escalating when required.
- Managed user accounts and access via Active Directory, performing password resets, group membership and basic account provisioning.
- Maintained hardware and asset inventories to improve equipment lifecycle planning and spare-parts availability.
Fortress College
Network Admin & Lecturer
2005 – 2007
Fortress College is an educational institution; I combined network administration responsibilities with delivering IT/networking instruction to students.
Tech Stack: Networking Hardware, Windows Server, LAN, WAN, Backup Tools, Teaching Labs
Delhi Public School
System Administrator
2003 – 2005
Delhi Public School is an educational institution; I managed IT systems and supported academic staff and students across the campus.
Tech Stack: Windows Server, Workstation Support, Backup Tools, Network Administration, Antivirus Management
Education
Bangalore University
MSc Computer Science • Bangalore, India • 2002
Gujarat University
Bachelor of Commerce • Gujarat, India • 2001
Certifications
ITIL Foundation V3
CCNA - Cisco Certified Network Associate
MCSA / MCITP / MCTS - Microsoft Certified
VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
Achievements
- Infrastructure cost reduction (Direct Ferries): Cut infrastructure costs by 20% by re-architecting the global platform onto a hybrid AWS cloud while preserving availability for 40+ markets.
- Improved threat detection and SIEM deployment: Improved threat detection by 35% through SIEM deployment and security tooling overhaul, with zero critical breaches recorded during tenure.
- Operational automation and DR improvements: Reduced manual operational workload by 40% with automation pipelines and cut downtime risk by 50% by designing and testing a disaster recovery framework that met RTO/RPO targets.
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